This invention relates to an arrangement for accommodating a telescoping mast, particularly on a mobile carrier, comprising devices for selectively swivelling the mast into an essentially horizontal transport position while the telescopic elements are retracted, or into a perpendicular operating position while the telescopic elements are extended, in which the mast or the carrier are supported with respect to the ground surface by means of supports.
Such telescoping masts are used, for example, as carriers of antennas for radio communications, for television transmissions or other transmitting or receiving purposes or as relay stations.
It is a requirement that mobile operating systems of the above-mentioned type can be set up and taken down within a very short time and, for economic reasons, with the lowest possible equipment-related expenditures and the minimum use of personnel.
It is known to perpendicularly extend masts of the above-mentioned type to a given height by means of elements that can be slid into one another or on one another, to brace the masts in this position and to support them with respect to the ground by means of extendable base parts or supporting arms. For the transport, the telescopic elements are retracted and the masts are swivelled into a horizontal transport position.
An arrangement of this type is known in which a telescoping mast is pivoted on a supporting arm and can be adjusted by means of an adjusting device into a perpendicular operating position or a horizontal transport position while the telescopic elements are in the retracted position.
However, a number of difficulties exist with the known arrangement. These difficulties are caused by the design of the vehicle used for accommodating the mast and by the design of the accommodating device for the mast where raising and transporting the telescoping mast into the operating and transport positions results in disadvantages, particularly with respect to the center of gravity.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to eliminate the disadvantages of the known construction and provide an arrangement which is simplified with respect to the equipment; exhibits an improved efficiency with respect to achieving a faster setting-up and removal of the mast system, and has the best possible stability of the mast system with respect to the center of gravity in the operating position as well as in the transport position of the mast.
According to the present invention, this object is achieved by a special development of the accommodating device of the mast system on a mobile carrier for selectively swivelling the mast into a transport position or an operating position for the support with respect to the ground surface for the raising of the mast into its operating position. The mast swivel bearing is provided on the carrier so that it can be adjusted or adapted for the respective adaptation of the center of gravity of the mast with respect to the mobile carrier, with respect to the transport position with vehicle wheels resting on the ground, and relative to the starting operating position of the mast with carrier supports resting on the ground surface.
According further to especially preferred embodiments of the present invention, the mast swivel bearing is accommodated by means of a supporting structure by the frame part of the mobile carrier, and an adjusting device is provided which causes the relative movement between the mast and the mobile carrier in the longitudinal direction of the carrier.
According further to especially preferred embodiments of the present invention, the supporting structure of the mobile carrier with the mast swivel bearing or the bearing support can be placed and fastened on the supporting structure or the vehicle frame of the mobile carrier.
According further to especially preferred embodiments of the present invention the center of gravity of the mast with respect to the mobile carrier can be adjusted in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and in the perpendicular direction or in a direction resulting from the individual adjusting devices.
According further to especially preferred embodiments of the present invention the center of gravity of the mast can be adjusted with respect to the mobile carrier transversely to the vehicle axis.
According further to especially preferred embodiments of the present invention for the adjusting of the mast system or of the center of gravity with respect to the mobile carrier in the direction of the vehicle longitudinal axis and in the perpendicular direction, a guiding device is provided providing guides and scanning elements which are guided on these guides in a restricted manner.
According further to especially preferred embodiments of the present invention, by means of the construction of the adjusting device, a combined swivel movement of the mast and of the mast swivel bearing can be caused with respect to the carrier in the direction of the vehicle longitudinal axis and in the perpendicular direction.
According further to especially preferred embodiments of the present invention, the mast swivel bearing is formed by interacting bearing elements on the shaft or on the supporting structure or on the carrier frame, and a gearing in the manner of a crank mechanism is applied by means of bearing rockers by way of joints in an articulated manner to the mast and to the supporting structure or to the carrier frame.
According further to especially preferred embodiments of the present invention, the bearing rockers, in the perpendicular operating position of the mast, take up a perpendicular or approximately perpendicular swivelled-out position on the supporting structure of the carrier.
According further to especially preferred embodiments of the present invention, the bearing bores of the mast swivel bearing have slots, and the bearing shafts have sections with flattenings which fit into the slots.
According further to especially preferred embodiments of the present invention, at a distance in the direction of the carrier longitudinal axis from the mast swivel bearing, between the mast and the supporting structure or the carrier frame, a mast guide is formed which comprises guide rollers and guide rails with guide ways extending in an inclined manner with respect to the horizontal line.
According further to especially preferred embodiments of the present invention, the guide rollers are freely rotatably arranged on fork parts of a bearing fork of the supporting structure and the guide rails are fixedly connected with the mast.
By means of an arrangement that is constructed according to the invention, it is achieved that the center of gravity of the mast system, in its operating position as well as in its transport position, is always in the center of gravity of the vehicle, whereby the projecting of the extendable and projectable supports required for erecting stability and resting on the ground surface can be minimized. In the case of such a construction, the transport supports may be advantageously mounted on the carrier frame of the carrier vehicle.
The construction also makes it possible for the carrier vehicle proper to be used as a balancing weight with respect to the mast, thereby maintaining erecting reliability while minimizing the projecting of the supports, particularly when the available erection surface is limited.
By means of the special construction of the mast swivel bearing, an advantageous center of gravity point of the mast system is also maintained along the entire adjustment path during the adjustment for the raising and retracting of the mast.
In addition, by means of the special construction of the mast swivel bearing, together with the construction of the supporting frame or of the vehicle frame, it is provided that, for the transport, the center of gravity of the mast or of the overall system is at an extremely narrow distance above the road surface. Also, when the mast is swivelled into the operating position, a displacement of the mast or its swivel bearing in the perpendicular direction is achieved and erecting height is correspondingly gained.
The development according to the invention permits a construction of the mast system on any series-constructed vehicle frame or load accommodating part without having to perform an expensive adaptation. In this case, both towing vehicles and trailers in a single-axle or multi-axle construction can be used.